Balancing Acts: Work, Family, and the Entrepreneur Mom

Do you remember the time before the internet and computers? I barely do…and I can’t imagine how anyone doing business could stay in business. The information highway has been expanded into a super highway of information covering the globe and traveling with super sonic speed.

There was a time when ‘selectric’ typewriters were the cutting edge of electronics and any office secretary (oops!), administrative assistant could not wait to get to work so she could type a letter, any letter.

What about the time before copiers really began to emerge, the old stenographic copy machine with the horrible blue ink that was on your favorite blouse before day’s end. Worse still was the infamous ‘carbon paper’ for duplicate copies. I can imagine that there were many frustrated women who type thousands of pages because she could not seem to get it perfect. Thank goodness for the inventor of White-out!

Business life today is filled with PDA’s, cell phones with all the bells and whistles, laptops thinner than a pencil, and scanners built into cartridges the size of a palm. Doing business has never been easier and yet it is still difficult to stick to the principles of the golden days. Simple direct communication has become almost extinct and the constant important of the business of the day seems to overflow into what use to be termed as “family time”.

 

The importance of balancing life/work has never before been so on the forefront of corporate agendas. Entrepreneurs who consider a small staff are also taking into consideration the options that they can provide their employees. Telecommuting, work from home programs, and other options for balancing life/work are becoming more acceptable practices and the results are impacting the bottom line in a positive way.

As an entrepreneur, I realize that it takes a tremendous amount of discipline to get through my work day. Phone calls, emails, web development and management, and keeping to my schedule. But, with the tools that the internet and all the technology provides, I am able to secure the life that a job could not afford me. Being home with my family when I need to be is so rewarding in so many ways.

 

Work at home moms have a great talent for balancing their day to ensure that everyone and everything gets the required attention. This brings greater value to her life and the lives of those with whom she does business with because it is understood that schedules must be adhered to and boundaries must be respected.

I never thought that being a stay at home mom and working my business would balance so perfectly. I can put in overtime if I choose, and I can take any day of the week off, too. I have decided to adopt the lifestyle of those abroad and work less and enjoy life more. Believe it or not, this has a much more beneficial impact on my business and the bottom line.

There is a balance between life/work and finding that balance means acknowledging the areas of weakness and hiring someone adept in that area to compensate for you. It works for me!

 

Mega Harris is founder of The Haven Women’s Outreach, a nonprofit organization, and recipient of the 2005 SBA Women in Business Champion of the Year Award. She has authored two books, Funding Your Vision: Writing Winning Proposals-- and --a few choice words…. A successful consultant for business management and web development, she encourages women to take the entrepreneurial leap. You may visit her at Making Money on the Internet or email her at mega@7figure.net.